Nova had always been able to feel people's wavelengths. It wasn't a gift—it was a burden.
She saw past the branding, past the metrics and code. She could tell when Ace was bluffing, when Kaelen was hurting, when Liam—especially Liam—was burning out.
Watching him react to Riven's message shook her more than she let on.
It wasn't fear she saw in Liam's eyes.
It was guilt.
And guilt meant there was a wound buried deep—something even Indie Web, even success, couldn't overwrite.
Nova tapped through the Alliance's backend, watching creators light up their dashboards with messages of hope, solidarity, pride.
They needed Liam whole. Not haunted.
So she crafted a safeguard—just in case things went south at the meeting with Riven. Not a tracking device, not a weapon.
Just a shared memory node.
"If you forget who you are," she whispered as she embedded the token in Liam's streamband,"I'll remind you."
The End of POV